Trager Work -also known as Trager work or Trager psychophysical integration, the Trager approach is a unique method of "body education"
that involves extremely gentle and painless hands-on manipulation of the limbs, joints, and muscles by a trained practitioner.
It also includes the teaching of free-form movement sequences to increase body awareness and enhance agility.
The aim of this therapy is to impart a physical message to the unconscious mind that movement can be effortless.
The Trager approach has been found to be particularly useful for chronic neuromuscular ailments, such as back and neck pain,
as well as stress-related conditions, such as headache.
The Trager approach was developed almost by chance in the 1920s by Dr. Milton Trager (1908-1997). As a young
man growing up in Miami,
Trager dabbled in gymnastics and dance, and eventually began boxing. After a workout, he often received a sports massage from
his coach. One day Trager offered to give the tired-looking coach a rubdown in return. The man was amazed at how rejuvenated
he felt afterward. Trager then tried the same thing on his father, who suffered from chronic sciatica; the sciatica cleared
up after two sessions.
These experiences encouraged Trager to begin experimenting widely with massage, treating people with ailments
that ranged from back pain to polio. His work eventually led him to become a physical therapist, and he continued to improve
and refine his technique. In his fifties, Trager became an M.D., and when he was almost 70 he began to teach his approach
to others. In 1980 the Trager Institute was founded in Mill Valley, California,
and Trager continued to teach there and throughout the United States
and Europe until his death in 1997.
How Does It Work?
Trager therapy is based on the theory that discomfort, pain, and a reduced range of movement are physical symptoms
caused by accumulated tension. This tension may be the result of trauma, weak posture, fear, emotional blockages, and/or stress.
The feelings of lightness, openness, and peace that the Trager technique induces are believed to resonate throughout the nervous
system. Not only does this ease tension, but it also changes your unconscious mental and physical experience of movement to
one of pleasure rather than pain.
There are two components to the Trager approach. In the first, known as tablework (because the work is done
on a special table), the practitioner gently and rhythmically rocks, shakes, and stretches various parts of your body, loosening
tight muscles and painful joints. This rhythmic movement gradually induces a state of deep relaxation. Once relaxed, the person
experiences just how pleasurable it is to move freely a key step in learning to break free of the restrictive muscle patterns
associated with physical tightness and pain.
During the second part of a session, the practitioner teaches you simple sequences of movements, which you can
later do at home. Called Mentastics (short for mental gymnastics), these movements are designed to reduce tension and increase
physical mobility. Unlike most exercises, which are done to improve strength or endurance, the goal of Mentastics is to achieve
a relaxed, meditative state.
What You Can Expect
At the first visit, a Trager practitioner will typically take your health history and explore any physical problems
you are currently experiencing. The practitioner may then discuss how you're feeling emotionally, since part of the treatment
will involve helping you make connections between your state of mind and your physical problems.
For the tablework portion of the session, you will lie on a padded table, dressed in loose-fitting clothing
that allows you to move freely. To better concentrate on you, the Trager practitioner then enters a meditative state (in Trager
parlance called the "hook-up"). This allows the practitioner to more easily find areas of tension in your body and to feel
your responses to the treatment.
According to Dr. Trager's principles, the calm, peaceful manner of the practitioner's "approach" is just as
important as the technique itself. No oils or lotions are used. The practitioner moves your muscles rhythmically and lightly,
lengthening and shortening, sliding, rolling, and flexing them. The movements are never forced and you should feel no pain.
You should also begin to experience an invigorating sense of deep relaxation.
After the tablework, the practitioner will teach you some simple Mentastics movements in order to improve your
awareness of your own body. Depending on your ailment, you may be asked to dangle or swing your arms or legs, shift your weight
from foot to foot, or do big, dancelike movements. You will be encouraged not to resist or control these motions, but to "let
go" completely.
The practitioner may also suggest that while you're moving, you ask yourself some key questions, such as "What
can be freer, lighter, or softer in this movement?" or "What could make it more beautiful?" And though it may seem as if you
are hardly doing anything physical, each movement is carefully designed to integrate mind and body and thus develop the power
of your unconscious.
A typical Trager session lasts from 60 to 90 minutes. The number of sessions required will depend on your ailment.
Some people feel better after just one session, but most people benefit from the cumulative effects of five or six once-a-week
sessions. You will also be encouraged to do the Mentastics movements on your own. Two or three 10 to 15 minute sessions of
Mentastics a day are recommended to start.
Health Benefits
The Trager approach is particularly useful for relieving the everyday stress that can build up in muscles and
joints. With its emphasis on self-awareness skills, this method is especially good for situations in which the physical patterns
of stress recur due to ongoing emotional causes. In addition, the particular hands-on technique used by Trager therapists
can be especially beneficial for difficult nerve and muscle problems that have not responded to other body-centered approaches,
such as chiropractic, massage, or traditional physical therapy.
